Debbie's Chocolate Chili

Chocolate, Guinness® extra stout beer, and spicy sausage are the signature ingredients in this beef and bean chili.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr
• Calories: 526 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups diced onion
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 pound bacon, diced
• 1 cup masa flour
• 2 (28 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 2 pounds bulk spicy sausage
• 1 (32 ounce) bottle hickory smoke barbeque sauce
• ½ cup chili powder
• 4 (15.25 ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained
• 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles Irish stout beer (such as Guinness®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Stir tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, onion, cumin, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together in a large pot over medium heat; keep at a simmer as you prepare the meats.

Step 2

Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Keep the skillet on heat while transferring bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Crumble bacon and stir into the tomato mixture.

Step 3

Cook and stir sausage in the bacon drippings until completely browned, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Stir sausage into the tomato mixture. Return skillet to medium-high heat.

Step 4

Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Stir beef into the tomato mixture.

Step 5

Stir barbeque sauce and chili powder into the tomato mixture; adjust any seasonings to your preference. Add kidney beans and chocolate to the mixture; cook and stir until the chocolate is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 6

Pour Irish stout beer into the pot and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are well integrated with one another, about 1 hour.

Step 7

Stir masa flour into the chili until smooth. Bring the chili again to a simmer; cook and stir until thickened, about 15 minutes.